Stamp duty is a charge which is applied by state governments in Australia on transactions relating to the transfer of land or property. It is paid upfront and needs to be budgeted for in addition to your loan deposit.
Read More
Is the key to saving a home deposit as simple as giving up smashed avo toast for breakfast? Well not quite, but spending less does make a difference.
Read More
Jarrod Harrison was well on his way to becoming a first-home owner when issues cropped up prior to settlement that threatened to cost him his deposit.
Read More
Lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI) is required in many instances when a loan is worth more than 80 per cent of a property’s purchase price, as well as in some other circumstances. In very basic terms, when a lender considers a loan to carry a high risk, LMI is likely payable. Here’s how you can avoid paying the costly premium.
Read More
From time to time, a business needs a cash injection. With so many lenders offering a dizzying array of products, it can be difficult to know what to choose.
Read More
A conveyancer is a solicitor, but just deals with property, right? Wrong. The two are different, and it is important to have the right one on your team, in order to avoid paying too much while still getting the advice you need.
Read More
When purchasing an investment property, there are a number of factors that could increase or reduce your potential return on investment. In this case it's not just location, location, location.
Read More
Some of the most important decisions a business owner will make are about their premises: whether to rent or buy, where to base the business and even the style of the property are important to get right. For those with an SMSF, there is one more option to consider: landing business premises and an investment property at the same time.
Read More
Are you flying solo and starting to think that buying a property will never be possible? There’s really no need to wait for a knight, or lady, in shining armour to come along, as securing finance on a single income does happen.
Read More
Paying off a mortgage can seem relentless – every payment counts of course, but it can seem to be taking forever to make a dent. Here are some simple ways you can increase the amount you pay off and own your home sooner.
Read More
If you apply for a home loan, particularly if the loan is for more than 80 per cent of a property’s value, you’ll more than likely have to prove to lenders that you have a satisfactory amount of savings. This is to demonstrate your ability to funnel a portion of your income into repayments.
Read More
Whenever it makes financial sense to do so.
Heard about mortgage refinancing? In the past, most people who took out a mortgage doggedly continued with it until they had paid it off. These days, people refinance their mortgage much more frequently. The average duration of a home loan in Australia now is just 4-5 years. Here we look at some of the reasons people in Australia refinance their home loan.
Read More
Before you take the leap into a holiday-home investment, it is essential that you consider all angles. This means taking your heart out of the equation and giving thought to rental returns - which means location really is king.
Read More
Rising house prices are making it increasingly difficult to enter the market. Parents who guarantee their children’s loans can help, but it is important to understand how this can impact the parents’ retirement or investment plans.
Read More
It’s easy to understand why we look for the largest, most prestigious properties we can afford – we are constantly urged to define our success by our possessions: bigger, better, newer, faster, shinier. A relatively recent counter-movement, however, urges lower impact, fewer goods and less consumption, and at its core nestles the tiny house.
Read More
In an attempt to curb the high competition of the Australian housing market that locked out many would-be first home buyers, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) in late 2014 signalled its intention to keep a close eye on a suite of concerns, including the levels of residential lending to investors.
Read More
Applying for a business loan is a completely different process to that of a home loan application. To ensure you don’t lose your way, we’ve set out a clear path for you to follow.
Read More
Urgent maintenance is an unavoidable aspect of being a landlord, so having a cash buffer set aside will help you deal with any unexpected problems.
Read More
With interest rates at an all-time low, taking the option of locking in an interest rate on your home loan to guard against possible future fluctuation may be attractive. However, it pays to know the ins and outs of fixed-rate loans before committing to one.
Read More